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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

W. C. GIBBS.

PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERA.

No. 394,353. Patented Dec. l1, 1888.

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U l MB Lm N (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2'. W. C. GIBBS.

PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERA. No. 394,353. Patented Dee. l1, 1888.

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@woe/who@ f. y/3%@ VUNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM C. GIBBS, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE IV. DORNIN, OF SAME PLACE.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,353, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed April 18, 1888. Serial No. 271,084. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom, it may concern: frame Aby a suitablehinge-connectionvhich Be it known that I, VILLIAM C. GIBBs, of will permit said plate to be dropped down to Oakland, county of Alameda, State of Caliexpose the camera back and to be turned up fornia, have invented an Improvement in under the body-frame for the latter to rest 5 Photographic Cameras; and I hereby declare upon. In the present case I have here shown the following to be a full, clear, and exact dethe connection as being made through the inscription of the same. tervention of a strip, D, to which it ishinged My invention relates to t-he class of photoat c, said strip being itself hinged at d to the graphic cameras; and my invention consists base of the body-frame. Now when the back 6c 1o in the novel construction and arrangement of plate is in position to cover the camera-back the inclosing case, box, or frame, whereby its the strip D lies in a horizontal position in the back and front plates, when dropped to expose plane of the base of the body-frame, and the the operative parts of the camera, are made to back plate occupies a vertical position, being serve as the supporting-bed and the focusingsecured bythe engagement of a pivoted latch, 6 5 I5 platform, respectively; in the novel adjusting E, on its top with a small catch, e, on the top and focusingl carriage; in the adjustable supof the body-frame.

port for the finder, and in details of construc- In uncovering the camera-back the back tion and arrangement, all of which I shall plate, C, is dropped down to a horizontal posihereinafter fully describe. tion, turning on its hinges fr; but to carry out 2o The main object of my invention is to prothe further function designed for the back vide a photographiccamera which needs no plate its movement does not stop here; but, separate box or case, having within itself the camera beinglifted, said back plate is carparts which, ordinarily essential to its operaried on down and up again, turning with the tion when in use, yet have the further funcstrip D on the hinges d to a horizontal posi- 25 tion of completing a perfect case or box, so tion in the other direction, so that it lies unthat the camera is self-contained. der and forms a bed-plate for the camera Other objects are to provide improved conbody-frame, projecting, however, forward of structions for focusing the lens and supportsaid frame, for a further purpose, which I shall ing the finder. presently describe. I do not confine myself to 8o 3o Referring to the accompanying drawings forming the hinge connection between the for a more complete explanation of my invenback plate and the body-frame by the strip D, tion, Figure l is avertical section of my camfor with suitable hinges the proper moveera, showing both end plates open and in poment of the back plate may be had without sition for use. Fig, 2 is a perspective view having the strip. The back plate, C, is firmly 85 3 5 showing the end plates just being opened to set in this position, wherein it serves as a bed expose the camera ends. Fig. 3 is a detail of by means of any suitable connection or clamp latch E. Fig. 4 is a back view showing the (here shown as a tluimb-screw, c) mounted in finder-support and the focusing-carriage. the back plate and engaging-athreaded socket, Fig. 5 is a detail of the automatic catch bea., in the base of the body-frame. The back 9o 4o `tween the two plates C and G. plate is provided on its under surface with A is the body of the camera box or case, the plate F, having the usual lugs, f, for seconsisting of a four-sided open-ended frame curing the tripod-legs, so that said back plate inclosing the ordinary parts of the camera, becomes the support or foundation for the here represented, generally, by B, and includcamera and is carried by the tripod.

45 ing on one side the ground glass, on the other G is the front plate of the body-frame of the front board, the lens and its connections, the camera box or case. It is hinged to the and between them the bellows. base of said body-frame at g, and when in an C is the back of the case or box, consisting uright position it completely covers the front of a anged plate adapted to fully cover and of the camera, being held by spring-catches a roo 5o inclose the back of the camera. This back above. By releasing these catches the front Vplate is connected with the base of the bodyplate may be dropped down to a horizontal position, so that it then lies and is supported directly and firmly upon the back plate, C,

which has been turned forward to serveas a bed, as heretofore described. In this position the front plate serves as a focusing-platform.

In order to liold it solidly and firmly in this position I make use of the pivoted latch E of the back plate, causing it to engage a catch in the front plate, G. This engagement,

1o though it may be of any suit-able character, I

have here shown as being made by a slotted plate, Il, with which the notch e of the latch engages, and is pressed thereto by a springactuated toe-piece, 71, operati n g behind the slot. The engagementis, therefore, automatic,

and the disengagement is effected readily by pressing back the latch to relieve its notch of the slotted plate. The inner surface of the front plate, G, which becomes the upper surface when said plate is laid down, carries the tracks I, upon which the front of the camera is drawn out for focusing', its adjustinent being effected by means of the common device of the pinion-shaft J and racks j.

2 5 Instead, however, of this simple form of adjustment I would use, especially in larger cameras, the following construction: Upon lthe tracks I is mounted and adapted to slide a carriage-frame, K, having on each end the 3o guides 7c, upon which the base of the front board of the camera is mounted, and is adjusted by means of the pinion-shaft J on the cameraand the racks j on the carriage-frame. In

the inner edges of the tracks I are made notches z' at intervals, and upon the front of the carriage -frame are arranged. the spring-controlled oppositely-working sliding latches L,

the ends l of which are adapted to engage the notches t' of the tracks in order to hold the 4o carriage frame solidly in position. The

latches are readily operated by means of adjacent thumb-pieces Z. Now it will be seen that this construction provides for the primary or greater adjustment of the bellows by pulling out the lcarria(ge-frame K, with the front board and lens, to about the focus, as near as can be judged. Then the accurate adjustment is effected by the pinion-shaft operating on the racks j. This effects a saving of time 5o Over the ordinary method, and where the work being done requires t-he same focus the carriage may be drawn out directly to that focus at once and held by the spring-latches.

M are safety-stops on the carriage-frame for 5 5 limiting the adjustment of the camera front on said frame. By thus having the tracks on the front plate G, I avoid having a separate track-frame such as is usually employed.

P is the finder, of ordinary construction.

6o My improvement in this connection consists in means for mounting it, whereby it may be turned to position for a vertical or horizontal picture. It has secured to one of its sides a plate, p, which is pivoted at p to a plate or arm, 292, which is itself pivoted at p3 to the camera front board. The edge of plate p is cut out to form terminal shoulders at p,

which, by coming in contact with a fixed pin, p5, in the arm p2, limit the movement of the finder in either direction and hold it in either a vertical or a horizontal position as it is turned on its pivot at p. The turning of the arm p2 on its pivot moves the finder down to be inclosed by the case or up above said case for use.

In a camera the focusing of which is effected by the baclmvard movement of the bellows I have only to reverse the plates C and G, making the former the front plate and the latter the back plate.

It will be seen that by the construction of the camera as described l provide what I may term a self-contained apparatus-that :is to say, I need no separate case or box. The parts of the apparatus which are necessary for setting it up preparatory to its use are parts of the inclosing box or case and have the double function described. There are no separate pieces to be mislaid or forgotten, no pieces to shake loose or rattle; but the apparatus as a connected whole is complete in itself whether in use or closed up.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a photographic camera, a plate forming one end cover of the camera-frame and hinged thereto, and adapted to be dropped down to expose the camera end, and turned under the camera-frame to form a' bed or support therefor, substantially as described.

2. In a photographic camera, a plate forming one end cover of the camera-frame, in conibination with a strip hinged to the base of the camera-frame, and hinged also to the coverplate, whereby said plate is adapted to be dropped down to expose the camera end and turned under the camera-frame to form a bed or support therefor, substantially as described.

3. In a photographic camera, an inclosing body-frame having an open back, in combination with a plate covering said open back and hinged to the body-frame, whereby said plate is adapted to be dropped down to eX- pose the camera back and turned under the body-frame to form abed or support therefor, sul'istantially as described. v

' 4. In a photographic camera, an inclosing body-frame having an open back, and a strip hinged to the back of the base of said frame, 'in combination with a plate covering the open back of the body-frame and hinged to the strip, whereby said plate is adapted to be dropped down to expose the camera back and turned under the body-frame to form a bed or support therefor, substantially as described.

5. In a photographic camera, and in combination with an inclosing body-frame having an open back, a plate covering the open back and hinged to the body-frame, whereby it is adapted to be dropped down to expose the camera back and turned under the bodyframe to form a support or bed therefor, and

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a fastening for holding the plate steady to and under the body-frame, substantially as described.

6. In a photographic camera, and in combination with an inclosing body-frame haring an open back, a plate covering the open back and hinged to the body-frame, whereby it is adapted to be dropped down to expose the camera back and turned under the bodyframe to form a bed or support therefor, and the thumb-screw in the plate and socket in the body-frame for clamping and holding the plate in place under the body-frame, substantially as described.

7. In a photographiccamera, and in combination with an inclosing body-frame having' an open back, a plate coyerin the open back and hinged to the body-frame, whereby it is adapted to be dropped down to expose the camera back and turned under the bodyfraine to form a bed or support therefor, a fastening for securing the plate to the bodyfraine, and the tripod-securing plate on the inner or under surface of the hinged back plate, substantially as described.

8. In a photographic camera, an open-ended body-frame, in combination with a plate forming one end of the body-frame and hinged thereto, whereby it is adapted to be turned down to expose the camera end and form a focusing-platform for its adjustment, and a plate forming the other end of the body-frame and hinged thereto, whereby it is adapted to be dropped down to expose that end of the camera and turned under the body-frame to form a bed or support therefor and for the other end plate, substantially as described.

9. In a photographic camera, an open-ended body-frame, in combination with a plate forming the front of the body-frame and hinged thereto, whereby it is adapted to be turned down to expose the camera front and form a focusing-platform tor its adjustment, a plate forming the back of the body-frame andi hinged thereto, whereby it is adapted to be dropped down to expose the camera back and turned under the body-frame to form a bed or support therefor and for the front plate, and an automatic catch-connection between the two plates to hold them firmly together, substantially as described.

IO. In a photographic camera, an openended body-frame, in combination with a plate forming the front ot' the body-frame and hinged thereto, 'whereby it is adapted to be turned down to expose the camera front and form a focusing-platform for its adjustment, a pla-te forming the back of the ln'nly-frame and hinged thereto, wherebyY it is adapted to be dropped down to expose the camera back and turned under the body-frame to form a bed or support therefor and for the front plate, a fastening for holdin the back plate solid under the body-frame, and a fastening for holding` the two plates together, substantially as described.

Il. Ina photographic camera, the adjustable support for the finder, consisting, of the plate secured to the finder and hayingopposing shoulders by which its movement is limited, and the arm pivotetl to the front board of the camera and to the finder-plate and having a pin for coming in contact with the shoulders ot' said under-plate, substantially as described.

I2. In a photographic camera, the focusing or adjusting mechanism consisting of the carriage-frame on which the camera front is mounted and adapted to slide, the fixed tracks on which the carriage-frame moves, the notches in the tracks and latches on the carriage-frame for holding said frame to the position to which it is adjusted, and the pinion-shaft on the camera front and racks on the carriage-frame for adjusting the camera front on said carriage-frame, substantiall)Y as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

Vitnesses:

JAMEs MAsoN, S. H. NotYRsE. 

